


Fighting dragons with you

by kyjr



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, KAT-TUN (Band), Kanjani8 (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyjr/pseuds/kyjr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just the three of them and their bikes, on the search for unicorns, and it was completely insane but completely fantastic and Ryo found himself having entirely too much fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fighting dragons with you

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://go-chan2011.livejournal.com/profile)[**go_chan2011**](http://go-chan2011.livejournal.com/). I hope you like this! Title comes from Long Live by Taylor Swift. Originally posted [here](http://je-otherworlds.livejournal.com/28684.html#cutid1) for the [](http://je-otherworlds.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://je-otherworlds.livejournal.com/) **je_otherworlds**  exchange.

"...Unicorns."

"Unicorns."

"Why unicorns, of all things?" Ueda asked, exasperated.

Ryo shrugged even though Ueda couldn't see him. "He's Shige. I stopped trying to figure him out years ago." He shifted the phone so he could cradle it between his shoulder and his ear as he cooked.

"Yes but... unicorns?" Ueda laughed. "What's he up to now?"

Ryo carefully flipped the chicken off the pan and onto his plate, where a stack of baked potatoes were already waiting. "Oh, no. I think he has to explain all this to you himself," Ryo said, laughing at Ueda's groan as he picked his plate up and moved into the lounge room, where his Tuesday reality television show had already started.

"I don't want to go there," Ueda whined, "It smells like mice."

"I've wrangled you into helping, by the way," Ryo said, stuffing a piece of chicken into his mouth and moaning. "Ugh, I'm such a good cook."

"Why me?" Ueda groaned. "I don't want to help - last time I did that, you almost lost an eye."

Ryo swallowed before answering. "Because this is what best friends do," he said. "This time we're not measuring my eyelashes, though."

"...Unicorns?"

"Unicorns."

 

>>><<<

 

Kato Shigeaki was a rather strange man. Ueda and Ryo had known him for about five years, ever since the other had set Ueda's porch on fire. The two had found themselves thrust into an experiment of his - something to do with fire and wood and some kind of chemical and another kind of chemical and what Ryo could only assume was some form of alcohol - and from that day on had been friends.

Ryo still had no idea how.

Shige was rushing around his lab when Ryo and Ueda arrived, muttering to himself as he scribbled down on his clipboard. "Oi, Shige," Ryo said, and the man paused, staring at them a little. Ueda waved.

"You're here!" he exclaimed, pushing his too-big glasses up his face. Ueda gave Ryo a look.

"Tell me about the unicorns, mister science-man."

Shige looked confused for a brief second before his face lit up. Ueda laughed as Shige tripped over a stool to get back to his notes, flipping through them till he found what he wanted. "Here!" he said, thrusting the papers into Ueda's face.

When he was excited about something, Shige was a danger to everyone.

Ueda took the papers from him, and Ryo watched his face as it changed from curious to slight bewilderment to eventually a mix between anger and frustration. "Shige, what is this?"

"So, I've had this idea," Shige started, and Ryo pulled up the closest stool. Whenever Shige started a sentence with that, it took a while for him to get to the point. "I've been researching--"

"About unicorns?" Ueda questioned, sighing and putting the papers down.

"Well, yes, but-- just listen to me, Ueda," Shige pleaded, and Ryo pulled on Ueda's arm until he was sitting next to him. Ueda glared. Shige beamed. "I've looked it up and spoken to professionals - don't look at me like that, Nishikido - and I've cross-referenced and made sure everything was right, but yeah - I think I know where to find unicorns," he finished, a great big smile on his face and panting a little.

"Sometimes I hate you," Ueda deadpanned, standing and moving to walk out of the lab, "You're insane."

Shige's face fell. "But-- but if you--"

"No," Ueda said. "This is the stupidest thing you've done. Ever," he said, and Ryo could see the anger in his eyes. "You think you've found an imaginary creature? Well good for you. Go ahead. You go look for them. Stop dragging us into your science experiments," he spat, wrenching his arm out of Ryo's grip and leaving.

Shige looked so upset that Ryo had to sling an arm around his shoulders and pull him close. "Hey. It's okay. He's just being an idiot. I'll go talk to him, okay?" Shige nodded glumly.

"Thanks."

 

>>><<<

 

"I hate the both of you," Ueda mumbled, his voice barely heard through the large scarf that was wrapped around his neck. "It's freezing; I'm tired; and I want to go back home."

"Quit your whining," Ryo said, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to keep warm, "We're all in the same position."

"But I don't care about unicorns--"

Ryo punched him. Ueda barely felt it under the layers he was wearing. "Shut up, we're here for Shige."

He had managed to convince Ueda into coming with them on this trip - partly because he didn't want to deal with Shige alone and partly because he wanted to share his misery with Ueda.

That's what best friends were for, wasn't it?

It was four in the morning, and the three of them had just arrived in some country - everything was still all muddled in Ryo's brain, and he wasn't entirely sure that Shige had even _told_ them what country they were going to. They were just standing outside the airport, huddled together and waiting for a taxi.

"Shige, I hate you."

 

>>><<<

 

Ueda's apparent hate for Shige was somewhat diminished when he paid for their breakfast the next morning.

"Shige, I love you," Ueda declared, happily biting into his toast and wiggling in his seat. "Yay."

Ryo laughed. "So, Shige. What's the plan?"

Shige got to work immediately, taking out a stack of papers from his backpack and spreading them on the table, knocking over his own breakfast. "Oh-- damn it--" he mumbled, kneeling down to pick the food off the floor.

Ryo was already reading through the plans. "Okay... I can't read any of this."

Shige rolled his eyes and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "We need to go into the mountains. So we need to get through this little village--" At this point, he followed the bright red line he had sketched onto the piece of paper with his finger, "--and then this _other_ village, and then down across this river, and then we should find ourselves at the base of the mountains."

Ryo stared. "Why?" he deadpanned. "Why do we have to trek across fucking mountains?"

"Because," Shige explained, rolling the notes back up, "That's where the unicorns are."

"Fucking unicorns," Ueda muttered, stuffing the rest of his toast in his mouth and wiping his hands on his jeans before standing. "Come on, dimwits, let's go."

 

>>><<<

 

For some reason, Ryo expected them to be hiking through the forest Lord of the Rings-style. As such, he was rather surprised when Shige led them to the three motorbikes waiting by the entrance to the hotel.

"I rented them," he said, looking quite proud of himself. Ueda was pale.

"I'm gonna kill myself," he practically squeaked. "I really am."

"Calm down, it won't be that bad," Ryo said, running a hand over the seat of the bike in appreciation. "Do you even know how to ride, Shige?"

Shige coughed. "A little. Took lessons from Maru."

"Nakamaru?"

"No. Maruyama."

"Ah, yes, that makes more sense," Ueda nodded. "But you're not getting me on one of these."

They did.

They reached their first stop at two o'clock - they were running late because Ueda refused to go over a certain speed. It was a run-down cafe, its fluorescent lights flickering on and off. There were round-edged tables set here and there; a large counter to one side with a bored worker wiping down trays behind it. There was only one other occupant, a greying man in a navy blue suit who was reading a newspaper whilst sipping at his coffee, and who barely looked up at them as they walked through the door.

"I need water," Ueda said, trying to dust himself off. "I need water now." The man behind the counter didn't understand of course, so Ueda just pointed angrily at the bottle of water in the fridge.

He rolled his eyes a little and poured him a glass of water as Shige set up his maps again on one of the small rickety tables.

"Okay, we've got another few miles to get before the sun goes down," Shige explained, as Ueda drank his water. "Are you guys okay?"

Ryo nodded. "As long as I get a sandwich, I'll be good," he said pointedly. "Something with ham and cheese would be great," he continued. "And mayonnaise!"

"I'll go order--"

"Ew, ham."

"...Two with ham and one with chicken," Shige corrected, and Ueda smiled sweetly.

"Thankyou~"

They set off after they had eaten their fill, stocking away snacks for later in Shige's backpack. Ueda still didn't like the bikes but he seemed to be getting used to it, and Ryo was sure he heard a laugh from under Ueda's helmet as they raced down the dirt roads, crimson dust rising up behind them. It was a little calming, Ryo thought, as the sounds of the bikes filled his ears and the dust surrounded him. A little free.

It was just the three of them and their bikes, on the search for unicorns, and it was completely insane but completely fantastic and Ryo found himself having entirely too much fun.

The sun was setting, throwing oranges and pinks over the trees when they pulled into the town Shige wanted them to stay in. The buildings were pretty run-down, ivy growing over their faces and windows missing here and there. Dirt was covering pretty much everything, from the bicycles out the front of the buildings to even the little plants in their pots. Ryo coughed.

"Pretty small place, isn't it?" he asked, but Shige ignored him, looking at a small piece of paper he had pulled from his pocket.

"The hotel is just down the road."

The hotel was also falling apart.

Ueda almost fell through the floor when he walked through the door, clutching onto Ryo's shoulder for dear life. "Shige is going to kill me," he muttered through clenched teeth. Ryo just laughed at him.

They were only staying the night, though even that was hard. Ryo awoke to a pigeon sitting quite placidly on his chest, cooing gently as Ryo stared blearily at it. "Ryo, you've got a bird on you," Ueda said calmly, throwing a t-shirt over his head. "Just in case you didn't see it before."

"Thankyou, Tatsuya."

Ueda hit his foot as he climbed out of bed. "Don't call me that!"

Their breakfast was _supposed_ to be eggs and sausages, but seemed to be a big gluggy mess on a plate, and so the three made their excuses and climbed onto their bikes. They stopped an hour later to eat the snacks that they had stashed in Shige's backpack by the side of the road, even though Shige was complaining about his schedule being all out of order now.

"We can't help that we're hungry!" Ryo yelled eventually, and Shige quietened, grumbling into his crackers. Ueda laughed, flinging the rest of his own crackers into Shige's hair.

"You two are so mean to me," Shige grunted, shaking the crumbs out of his hair. "You must hate me or something."

"Right," Ueda said, "Yet we've come all this way just for you."

 

>>><<<

 

The second town was much nicer than the first one. They pulled up, their motorbikes making too much noise in the quiet of the evening, with the setting sun behind them. Like the first town, the buildings were square-shaped and simple, with flat roofs and pretty fruit trees growing by the side of the track, but at least this one had working windows.

The three of them had to share a room again - there were only two beds so they forced Shige to sleep on the floor. Shige stole their pillows as revenge.

"You know what I hate about this?" Ryo asked the next day, as they stopped by a stream for a break. "I keep swallowing bugs."

"Then shut your mouth," Shige said, and Ueda almost fell over laughing.

"Where are we headed now?" Ryo asked, throwing a glare to Ueda.

"There should be a wide river somewhere ahead," Shige explained, pointing into the distance. “We have to cross it - don’t look at me like that Ryo, there’s a bridge - and then we’ll be on the right track!” he finished, smiling widely.

Ryo and Ueda didn’t share his enthusiasm, but dusted off and mounted their bikes. “Well, we’d better go then,” Ueda said, and Shige scrambled back onto his own bike, almost toppling it over in the process.

“Wait for me!”

“...We were.”

 

>>><<<

 

The river was massive. Not just ‘wide’. Massive.

Ryo and Ueda both looked over to Shige, who was staring straight ahead. “Well. It wasn’t this size on the map.”

“Where’s the bridge you promised?” Ryo asked through gritted teeth.

“Um.”

“It better be here,” Ueda threatened, “Or else I won’t be held accountable as to what I’ll do to you, Shige.”

Shige gulped. “It’s gotta-- it’s gotta be here though,” he said, shrugging his backpack off his shoulders and shifting through the maps. He spread one out on the seat of his motorbike, eyebrows knitting together as he searched for the bridge.

He eventually found it, and they had to wheel their bikes through the muddy riverbank for a few hundred metres until they caught sight of it (and the road). They must have looked quite a sight - three scraggly Japanese men pushing their motorbikes through the mud, dirt practically encrusted into their clothes and their hair, their feet dragging along the ground.

There were quite a few people around, giving them odd looks as they passed, but it seemed like only Shige was affected by their stares. “There must be another town nearby,” Shige commented, watching the people pass. “They’ve all got supplies and stuff.”

“Shige, we’re not with you anymore,” Ryo called from halfway down the bridge, “Keep up.”

“I hate you two.”

"Stop talking to yourself!"

 

>>><<<

 

The other side of the river was pretty much just forest. There was a wide dirt trail which the three of them followed, climbing back onto their bikes once they had cleared the bridge.

The trail was long. Very long. It wound back and forth and here and there to the point where Ryo was sighing in exasperation, just needing to see some form of town. He needed a rest; he needed food. They had exhausted what was left of the snacks in Shige's backpack, and as such were relying on him as the self-appointed leader to take them to a town.

But apparently Shige didn't know if there were any more towns around, because he was too focused on getting to the mountains, and hadn't paid any attention to their actual _needs_.

"I gotta pee!" Ueda yelled from the back of the line, and the other two stopped.

"Then go," Ryo said, flicking his visor up. "Just go on the side of the road or something."

"This was not in the contract when I became friends with you," Ueda grumbled, climbing off his bike. "They should warn for this shit."

"You can't warn for insane scientists," Ryo said, turning back around so Ueda could have some kind of privacy.

"Hey..." Shige whined.

"Are you... done back there?" Ryo called, and he heard some shuffling before Ueda was glaring at him.

"Yes, I am. I am done. Let's go," he deadpanned, climbing back onto his motorbike and starting it with a roar, "And let's never speak of this again."

Two hours later their stomachs were rumbling with hunger, and Ryo's vision was going a little blurry. They pulled over to the side of the road and Ryo crouched down, trying to get his eyesight back to normal again.

"What's up?" Shige asked.

"Dunno. Eyes are all fucked up," Ryo answered, feeling more than seeing Ueda's presence beside him.

"Maybe you're thirsty," Ueda said, putting a hand on Ryo's shoulder.

"Maybe."

"Look, the forest is thinning out now, and I think I can hear water somewhere nearby," Shige said, looking about. Ryo just closed his eyes tighter. "I'll go see."

"Ryo? You okay?" Ueda asked softly, as Shige walked off. Ryo shook his head.

"Just leave me be for a bit," he said, blinking. Ueda nodded, and sat next to him, waiting for Shige to come back, playing with the grass in front of him.

Shige had found a small stream, and had wheeled the bikes over to the spot he had chosen as Ueda helped Ryo (even though he kept telling them that he didn't need any help). The stream was nice; even nicer when water was running down his throat.

"Any better?"

"Shige, if I die or go blind, I'm going to blame you," Ryo said before taking another drink.

Shige just nodded, too caught up with his maps to really pay attention. Ueda snorted.

"Shige, the sun's about to set. Go grab us some firewood or something," Ueda instructed, and Shige begrudgingly rolled his maps back up and trudged into the forest, mumbling something under his breath. "You okay now?" he asked Ryo.

"Yeah." Ryo's vision was clearing, but his head was still feeling a little faint. "I think I need to lie down."

So he did, the scent of the grass beneath him lulling him to sleep as Ueda hummed to himself. He vaguely remembered Shige coming back and dumping branches on the ground before attempting to light them. He must have succeeded, because when Ryo woke again in the morning, there was the faintest warmth coming from the glowing embers of the dying fire.

Shige was on the other side of the fire, his hands pillowing his head as he snored. The sun had only just risen, clouds thrown haphazardly over the dull blue of the sky. The grass was wet with dew, and there was some animal drinking cautiously from the stream, it's big brown eyes staring at Ryo, ready to run in case he moved.

It was then that Ryo realised that his head was being cushioned by Ueda's lap. He leant up, startling the animal across the stream, and turned, looking down at Ueda, who was fast asleep.

"Oh, you're awake," Shige muttered, yawning loudly and sitting up.

"Yeah."

"You feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"...Good."

"...Yeah."

Ueda was stirring, eyelids fluttering as he awoke. "Mornin'," he mumbled sleepily, and Ryo smiled, a strange fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Good morning," he said. "I was on your lap."

"Mm," Ueda yawned. "Didn't want your pretty hair getting wet," he said sleepily, and Ryo laughed.

He found out later - through repeatedly hitting Shige until he relented and told him - that Ueda had felt sorry for him, all curled up alone, and had shifted his head onto his lap.

"Aww, you care about me," Ryo sang to Ueda as they mounted their bikes once more, and Ueda just glared.

"Shut up, I do not."

 

>>><<<

 

There _was_ another town, they soon found, and it was much larger than the last two they had visited. The buildings were complete, with no cracks or breaks or missing rooftiles, and without the cover of dirt that the other towns had. There were actual stores; strings of brightly coloured flags stretching above the marketplace cheerfully, welcoming them into the town. The place was situated in yet another forest, the trees stretching around the town and becoming a part of it.

"Oh thank fuck, actual _people_ ," Ryo sighed to himself, knowing that he wouldn't be heard over the roar of the bikes.

He did, however, hear Ueda's shout of happiness behind him, and laughed.

The town was lovely. There were uneven stones on the ground, of differing colours and shapes, and there was a beautiful old fountain right in the middle, water pouring down over three stone discs. The bottom of the fountain glittered with the many coins the townsfolk had thrown in, wishes tied to every one of them.

The three of them parked their bikes at the edge of the town, each of them thinking that the bikes had no place in such a town as this.

There was only one hotel in the whole place, which was really just a few rooms above the bakery, but they didn't mind, immediately sinking onto their beds with equal sighs.

"Oh my god, I'm not moving ever again," Shige groaned, rolling on his bed. Ryo laughed.

"We have to, there's food waiting for us."

Food was even better, Ryo realised, all of them moaning at the taste. It was a simple sandwich; thick bread and meat and a bunch of vegetables that tasted like heaven.

"I'm in love with this sandwich right now."

Ryo took a bath after, the warm water surrounding him and almost lulling him to sleep. He rid himself of the grime that was clutching to his skin, dirt almost falling out of his hair as he washed it, and sighed happily.

They fell asleep for a few hours, their stomachs full and their bodies clean. They all had to share a room, and their beds were only small but they didn't care, falling upon the mattresses and drifting into sleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

Ueda was the first one to wake up, tripping over Ryo's bed and, in turn, waking him. "What is it?" Ryo grumbled. "Is the world ending?"

"Not that I know of," Ueda whispered, trying not to wake Shige up. "I'm going to get dinner. Or... something. I don't know - I want food. You coming?"

So Ryo rolled out of bed - they had been asleep for four hours, according to the little clock next to Shige's bed - and headed downstairs after Ryo ran a hand through his hair to make himself slightly presentable. Ueda laughed.

"Don't bother," he said, his own short hair sticking up every which way, "It's not gonna help."

Ryo punched him. _That_ helped.

It was quite dark outside. The bakery downstairs was closed, so the two ventured into the early night, the cool breeze hitting their skin. It was nice though, the stars blinking down at them from a clear sky as the trees rustled with the wind. There were still people outside, packing their things away for the night, or simply just taking a walk, chatting away to each other.

"I like it here," Ueda said. "It's nice."

Ryo just nodded, enjoying the calming atmosphere of the night. They found a store whose owners agreed to give them a roll of bread and some cheese, and although Ryo complained once they had turned their backs to them, he admitted that it was a pretty adequate dinner as their stomachs were still quite full from before.

They sat on the ground, leaning against the wall as Ueda tore the bread in half with a strangely satisfying rip. It was nice, relaxing like this, feeling like they had nowhere else better to be, feeling like they could stay here forever.

The bread was soft; the cheese sharp. Ueda ate weirdly, picking at his bread delicately, whilst Ryo bit directly into it, chuckling a little at Ueda, who just elbowed him.

Their 'dinner' - if that was what you could call it - didn't last them very long, and they were soon dusting the crumbs off their laps and standing again. Neither wanted to go back to the room yet though, and so they continued wandering, peeking in through shop windows and trailing their hands over the brickwork of the buildings.

Ueda turned to him suddenly, grabbing his wrist and rushing forward, dragging Ryo behind him. After so many years of knowing Ueda, Ryo was kind of used to this, and as such just let him lead him to where he wanted to go.

The water in the fountain was almost glowing from the lights surrounding it. It was larger than Ryo remembered, but then again he was kind of distracted by the thought of food at the time.

"What're you doing?" Ryo laughed as Ueda dropped his arm and rushed up to the fountain, leaning in to feel the water pouring over his fingers.

"Nothing."

"You're gonna fall in," Ryo said, pulling lightly at the back of Ueda's shirt.

"Not," Ueda mumbled, moving to kneel at the edge of the fountain. Ryo followed. "That's a lot of wishes," he commented, staring at the coins lying at the base.

"Yeah."

Ueda leant in and picked a coin up, bringing it out of the water to look at it. "I don't think this one would mind an extra wish on it," he said, and Ryo laughed.

"But--"

"It's only a small wish," Ueda said, "I'm sure it'll fit." And so Ueda closed his eyes as Ryo watched with a small smile on his face. He let the coin fall back into the water, coming to rest upon another coin, shining in the light.

"What'd you--"

"Can't tell."

"Right."

They sat there awhile, watching the water fall down, letting their minds drift elsewhere for the moment. Ryo was just about to mention something about possibly getting dinner for Shige, too, when Ueda reached into the pool and splashed him.

"...What?" was all he said, surprise written all over his face. Ueda grinned.

Ryo pushed him in retaliation, and Ueda toppled back, almost falling in the water if he hadn't caught himself in time. "You bastard!" he laughed, hitting Ryo lightly.

And then Ueda was smiling again, and Ryo was falling, falling deep, tumbling down until he couldn't tell up from down and right from left, until he didn't know greens from reds from yellows, until he couldn't see anything. Anything but Ueda.

"Are you okay?" Ueda asked. "Are your eyes troubling you again?"

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to say no. Right now, Ryo wanted to say so many things but nothing was being said, and he was just staring into Ueda's eyes, wondering why he had never noticed how expressive they were. How beautiful they were.

"Ryo?"

"Huh? What?"

"You're being weird," Ueda commented, splashing him with more water.

"Sorry," Ryo said, shaking his head as if to clear it of these thoughts. "Should we get back?"

"Lets."

 

>>><<<

 

"I still can't believe you forgot about me last night," Shige grumbled over breakfast - a lovely hot porridge with brown sugar that they were practically drooling over.

"Shut up and eat," Ueda mumbled, blowing on his own spoonful. "Oh my god, that's heavenly."

Ryo kept quiet. He was sure he had large bags under his eyes from last night, tossing and turning and tossing again, thoughts of Ueda rolling about his head, even when he tried to ignore them.

They had walked back quietly to the bakery that night, Ryo consumed by all these sudden thoughts that had just confused him. Ueda had noticed something was wrong but didn't press the matter, knowing that Ryo needed his space.

Especially then. Ryo was thankful that Ueda had left him alone that night.

They didn't want to leave the town - they were quite comfortable right where they were - but they had to press on. They loaded Shige's backpack with fresh rolls and meats and refilled their water bottles and then they were off, their helmets on over their heads and their jackets pulled safely around them.

Being on the motorbike was good when he wanted to be alone; the roar of the engine making it feel like his thoughts were only his, the helmet hiding his face from the rest of the world.

He didn't know what to do. His heart pounded uncomfortably fast when Ueda was near, especially when he looked at him with those soft eyes. It was all quite sudden, and terrifying, but it all kind of... made complete sense.

Ueda had been the only one there for him throughout the years. When his parents had died when he was fifteen, Ueda was the only one he could turn to, curling up next to him with a cup of tea and comforting words, threading his fingers through his hair. Ueda was the one he ran to whenever he had news - whether it was good or bad. Ueda was the one he used to cheat off during exams; Ueda was the one he could laugh with about ridiculous things; Ueda was the one who knew what foods he didn't like; Ueda was the only one who ever paid any attention to him.

Ueda was everything to him and he hadn't even realised.

 

>>><<<

 

They stopped when the forest started thinning out into some kind of grassy plain, sitting at the edge of the forest with their bikes behind them and their lunch in front of them, staring out into the wilderness. It was rather peaceful, the three of them spread out on the hill, watching a flock of birds fly across the blue expanse of the sky.

They were off again soon after they finished, their bikes roaring down the hill and onto a crudely made road. There were animals who looked up, startled, as they rode past, shaking their heads and leaping away. It was fun, just riding on for hours on end with no-one else on the road, able to let his mind drift away.

They slept out in the open again that night, after they had finished their small dinner. There was nothing for a fire, so they huddled together, Ryo's heart almost leaping out of his chest as Ueda pressed his body to Ryo's. "Ryo," he whispered, and Ryo grunted, watching the stars above them blinking. "You haven't spoken to me all day. Have I done something wrong?"

"No, you haven't," Ryo answered, and he could feel Ueda shifting so he was watching the stars too. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ueda said, "I was just worrying."

"I know. Thankyou."

 

>>><<<

 

The next few days were the same, waking up to the chirp of wildbirds as they took to the air, having a quick breakfast and mounting their bikes, ready for the day ahead. The road was still pretty empty, although they had passed the odd truck every so often. Today, though, Shige was gesturing with a hand to the side, telling them to pull over.

"What is it?" Ueda asked, taking his helmet off. Ryo did the same.

"Look up there."

Up the road, there was a little stall. There was nothing for miles either way, but there it was, just sitting at the side of the road. Without even saying anything, they wheeled their bikes up to it, albiet a little suspiciously. It was only a small place, really only a few planks of wood nailed together, with a sign up the top with large painted letters.

"It's a lemonade stand," Shige deadpanned, and both Ryo and Ueda turned.

"What?"

"That's what it says. It's... a lemonade stand."

They just stared at it awhile, until the owner appeared from beneath it, his red hair really just a tangle on top of his head. He was saying something to them, but they weren't sure what until he brought a large jug out and started gesturing towards them.

Ueda was the first to take a step closer, clucking his tongue when Shige made a warning noise. "Shut up, Shigeaki," he said. "The guy looks harmless."

"That's what we say about you, too," Ryo said, "And you're anything but."

Ueda ignored him, parking his bike to the side of the road and going up to the man, his eyes a little larger than normal. The man smiled widely, quickly pouring a glass of lemonade and handing it to Ueda.

Ueda bowed a little - ever the polite one in front of other people - and sipped at it. "Dear lord this is delicious," he sighed, drinking more. "Guys, you've gotta try this."

And so they did. It was refreshing after riding for so long - rather unexpected, but nice. The man behind the stall was funny, flailing his arms when they tried to speak to him, trying to form words with his hands. They never understood him but they laughed, which seemed to be the right thing to do, because his face would light up and he continued to pour them more lemonade.

Shige attempted to give the man some money, but he just waved the coins away. "Nice man," Shige commented before he put his helmet on.

"You're just saying that because he didn't want money," Ryo said, and Ueda laughed.

And so they rode on, the seemingly endless plains stretching before them. The next town they found was a large one, laid out in front of them, paddocks and crops and strange little houses all fenced in from the wilderness.

"They have actual _cows_ ," Ueda murmured, more to himself than anything, but Ryo still caught it, and elbowed him. "What? I haven't seen a cow before."

They had once again parked their bikes out of the town, not wanting to create more noise than they should. Ryo was sure Ueda had seen a cow before, but chose not to say anything, watching the way Ueda walked carefully up to the animal.

"Ueda, we don't have time," Shige said, pushing Ueda in front of him and closer to the gate to the town. Ueda pouted.

"But she looked nice..."

"You can pat it some other time."

"Shige's being mean," Ueda mock-whispered to Ryo, "Something happened to him." Ryo laughed, and Shige hit him.

"Ouch!"

Shige was the one to bang his fist on the door, and the gate slowly opened. The houses were all the same shade of brown, made of some kind of mud brick, with thatched roofs. The grass inside the gates had been worn down considerably, so the ground was really just dust, showing itself in small clouds as they walked through the town.

The man who let them in led them to the motel they were to stay at. It was all rather rickety, and Ryo was a little nervous that a slight gust of wind might just push the whole thing over. They were sharing a room yet again, but Ueda offered to sleep on the couch this time.

They had dinner at what they could only assume was a bar, eating unknown meat with some kind of vegetables on the side. They didn't really care, tearing into it like animals, the hot food tasting wonderful after days of bread and cheese. It felt like Ryo hadn't tasted beer in _months_ , gulping it down like it was a lifeline, and Ueda laughed at him.

"You've got a foam-moustache," he said, and Ryo just looked at him.

"You've got a face," he retorted not-so-cleverly, ignoring Ueda's bark of laughter for more beer.

"Clever."

"I know I am."

"I'm going to bed," Shige announced, standing and looking down at them both. "You two should go too."

"Later," Ryo said. "Beer now."

Shige rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else, leaving Ueda and Ryo alone in the bar. The other people there weren't paying them any attention, their focus on the drinks and food in front of them. Ryo set his beer glass down happily.

"That was good," he said, and Ueda laughed.

"Don't get drunk; we still have to drive tomorrow," he said, picking at something on his plate that looked a little like burnt carrot. Ryo just sighed, watching him.

Maybe he should tell him how he felt. It was a new feeling; maybe he wouldn't be upset when Ueda shot him down. That should be okay, right? And then, once Ueda let him down (hopefully gently), they would continue on as normal. Their relationship wouldn't change. Because these were new feelings, and it didn't matter if Ryo said them or not. Nothing would change. Everything would be the same.

Right?

"Ue-- Tatsuya," Ryo started, already feeling his heart speed up.

Ueda wrinkled his nose. "Ew, don't call me that."

Ryo sighed. "Ueda," he said, and Ueda smiled.

"Yes?"

Nothing would change. "Ueda, I love you," Ryo said. Nice and succinct. Nice work, Ryo.

Ueda blinked. "...What?"

A little annoyed that Ueda wasn't following the script in Ryo's head, Ryo just blinked back. "I love you," he repeated, and Ueda's eyes went wide before his face slowly fell.

"Oh. Like... like _that_?" Ueda asked, and Ryo suddenly thought that maybe this wasn't the best idea.

"Yes, like that," Ryo snapped.

"Oh."

And with that, Ueda was gone, picking his jacket up off the back of the seat and biting his lip a little, walking out of the bar with his head down, and all Ryo could do was watch him leave. As the door shut behind him, Ryo turned back to his empty glass of beer, just staring at it.

That had hurt. That had hurt a lot.

It was like his heart was being constricted; like it was slowly cracking, slowly breaking. He shook his head and sighed, as if that would somehow help. It didn't. He took one last look at the door Ueda had disappeared behind before ordering another beer. Fuck it.

It shouldn't hurt this much. It really shouldn't. They were only new feelings. He shouldn't feel like everything was shattering around him. He let the alcohol take over, blurring his vision and numbing his body until he wasn't able to feel anymore. Maybe he was being stupid. They were _new feelings_.

The last thing Ryo thought before he passed out was that maybe, just maybe, he should stop lying to himself, and admit that these weren't new feelings at all.

Ryo was awoken by Shige splashing a bucket of water over his head. "Bastard!" Ryo screeched, his hair and clothes soaking wet. "What'd you do that for?"

"To wake you up, stupid," Shige said, placing the bucket back down. "We've gotta get going, it's almost noon."

Ryo blinked. "Really?"

"Yep. Ueda and I planned the rest of the trip - they have _maps_ here, thank goodness - so we know where we're going," Shige said, helping Ryo up. "Kind of."

"Ueda?"

"Yes, Ueda. Now come on."

Ueda was waiting outside the gates, leaning against the fence and trying to coax the cows over to him. Their bikes were ready, and Shige's backpack was full of more bread and numerous other things they had bought for the road. There was no time for breakfast, according to Shige, because otherwise they wouldn't reach the next town before the sun set.

Ryo's heart did a nasty twist as he saw Ueda, and he tried to make himself as unnoticeable as possible.

"Morning," Ueda said, a little tentatively, and Ryo nodded.

"Morning."

"It's afternoon now," Shige said, already on his bike and staring at the two of them. "Hurry up."

Ryo tried not to think of anything as they rode, paying more attention to the road and Shige's back in front of him than to his thoughts. But he couldn't help it, and without any other distractions about he found his mind drifting back to Ueda.

The pain came back slowly, but he fought it away. He didn't need to feel like some heartbroken teenager. He was completely fine about this. He would face Ueda, and he would be normal. They would be normal. He wouldn't let anything change.

No, he couldn't let anything change.

He loved Ueda too much to lose him.

Ryo's heart felt a little lighter once he realised that yes, as long as Ueda was in his life, that was all he needed. So Ueda didn't love him back - so what? All he needed was Ueda next to him, and he would be fine.

They stopped by another river for a late lunch. Ryo sighed as he took his helmet off, sitting on the grass and waiting for the others to join him. Ueda was still sending him uncertain glances, as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if Ryo would speak to him. Maybe Ryo needed to make the first move.

"Get your ass over here, Tatsuya," he called, and Ueda smiled brilliantly before making his way over.

"Don't call me that," he snapped, hitting Ryo over the head.

"Food," Shige said, throwing rolls of bread over to them.

"Are you okay?" Ueda whispered, once Shige had declared that he was going to fill their water bottles, "You don't seem okay to me."

"I'm fine," Ryo said, biting into the sandwich, "Really."

Ueda gave him a look but let it go. "I'm sorry ab--"

"Shige, have you finished?" Ryo called, ignoring Ueda. He didn't need to talk about it now.

"No."

"Okay."

"I'm stuck."

"Of course you are."

Once they had pulled Shige free - somehow he had managed to get his foot stuck under the root of a tree - they finished their lunch and climbed back onto the bikes. Apparently the next town wasn't that far away, and Ryo was already looking forward to a hot dinner and a steaming bath.

The sun was beating down upon them, soaking through their black jackets and making them sweat, their hair sticking to their faces. They had to stop just to breathe, taking their helmets off and sighing, sweeping their hair out of their eyes and using their shirts to wipe the sweat away.

It was strange to be riding as the sun went down, the sky exploding into brilliant oranges and purples, the clouds tinted with yellow as they moved across the sky. Bats screeched overhead, their eerie silhouettes stretching across the sky as they passed. Birds were settling down for the night, chattering away as they ruffled their feathers.

The sound of the motorbikes cut through the silence, startling the animals who had already fallen asleep. Mosquitoes had already made themselves known, the backs of Ryo's hands itching, and he had to fight the urge to scratch them.

The lights of the town soon came into sight, appearing over the hill like some kind of beacon. It was large, stretched out through a valley, the mountains just blue shapes on the horizon. There were paddocks upon paddocks with flocks of sheep all curled around each other as they bedded down for the night; horses and cows and ox and goats all shifting about as they went to sleep.

The town was wide awake, though, and the three were greeted with mugs of beer thrust into their hands by a burly man with a large moustache, who attempted to grab Ueda around the waist and twirl him into a dance with what seemed to be the rest of the townsfolk, but Ueda politely declined.

"Fucking insane," he spat, once the man had gone. Ryo laughed into his beer before his face fell.

"Oh. There goes Shige," he said, watching as Shige downed his beer and ran into the crowd, shrieking happily at the top of his voice. "We'll never get him back, now."

"He's a wild one, that Shigeaki," Ueda said, before snorting into his drink. "I make myself laugh."

Ryo smiled, and there was that little fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach as Ueda looked at him over the rim of his drink, laughter dancing in his eyes. Ryo quickly looked away, pretending to find Shige in the midst of drunken townspeople.

"Where do you think we're staying?" Ueda asked, standing on tiptoe to see over the crowd.

"I don't know; probably some run-down shack or something."

Ryo was right.

The people who ran the motel - if that was what you could call it - were a plump couple, their faces red from alcohol and dancing. Telling them what room they wanted was difficult without Shige to rely on, but somehow they managed with flailing gestures and spilt beer - Ryo was still clutching his - and ended up in a rather large room with three beds.

"Huh," Ueda said, walking in and flopping onto a bed, "We managed to do better than Shige."

"I wonder where he is now," Ryo said, peering out the window. "He's got all our stuff."

"How we've managed to fit everything into that backpack, I will never know," Ueda murmured, laughing a little. "Ah, I suppose we should go eat something, right?"

Ryo declined, preferring to sink into a warm bath. He could still hear the music outside, the shouts and laughs of the people out there loud enough to echo through the walls. He hoped Ueda found a good enough place to eat. He hoped Shige hadn't collapsed somewhere.

He supposed he should get out of the bath once the water turned cold. He changed back into the clothes he had been wearing - Shige had their extra clothes in his backpack - and wandered out. His stomach felt like it was slowly eating itself, so he thought that maybe he should find something to eat.

He should have gone with Ueda.

Stupid Ueda, with his hair and his face and his hands.

Ryo found a small little place that was somewhat quieter than the rest of the town. His meal looked like the chef had cooked half a cow and served it with a side of potatoes, but he really didn't care, tearing into it like he hadn't eaten for days. He didn't manage to finish it.

With his stomach full and eyelids heavy, he walked back to the motel, briefly noticing that Shige was passed out on one of the beds, his mouth open. Ueda still wasn't back yet, it seemed, and so Ryo sat onto his own bed, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

He was almost ready to go out to look for Ueda when the man in question burst in through the door.

"Alright, listen. I have a few rules," Ueda said, ignoring the look of surprise on Ryo's face. "One: don't call me 'baby' or I will throttle you. Two: if you tell me you love me every day I might have to smother you with your pillow. Three: I don't do public displays of affection."

"...What?" Ryo blinked, standing up and staring at him, his heart fluttering weirdly at Ueda's words. Ueda refused to look him in the eye, instead crossing his arms and shifting from foot to foot. "What're you on about?" he asked - just in case.

Ueda sighed in exasperation, walking briskly over to him. "I love you too," he whispered, and Ryo barely had time to process what he had said before Ueda was kissing him, his fingers pressed lightly to Ryo's cheeks.

Ueda pulled away slowly, his eyes focused on Ryo's lips. "Really?" Ryo whispered, holding his breath.

"Yes," Ueda murmured, pressing his body to Ryo's and moving his arms around Ryo's neck. "I do."

And then he was kissing him, taking Ryo's breath away, waking the butterflies in his stomach yet again. Ryo wound his arms around Ueda's waist, pulling him ever closer, never wanting to let go. His heart was beating too fast against his chest, and he was feeling dizzy, his head spinning and thoughts whirring but all he could think about was holding Ueda tighter, holding him closer, kissing him deeper.

"Ryo," Ueda murmured against his lips, and Ryo couldn't help the moan that escaped. Ueda chuckled. "Ryo."

"I love you," Ryo said, pressing soft kisses to Ueda's cheeks. "I think I always have."

"Just-- just kiss me again," Ueda demanded, turning his head to meet Ryo's kiss, sighing a little. "Oh, just like that."

"Please stop now or I may puke," another voice said, and the two sprang apart, Ryo's arms still around Ueda.

"Shige?"

"Of course it's me, who else?" Shige muttered, sitting up and wiping his mouth. "Was I drooling in my sleep?"

"Probably," Ueda said. "You're gross like that."

Ryo laughed. Even though his mind was still split into what felt like thousands of different emotions, still letting everything sink in, he laughed, loving the way Ueda's hand came up to clutch at the hem of Ryo's shirt.

"Are you two together or something?" Shige asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

Before Ryo could answer, Ueda was speaking. "Yeah. Yeah, we are."

Shige didn't seem fazed, turning around on the bed and stretching a little. "Okay. I'm going back to sleep. Don't have sex in the bed next to me."

Ryo threw his pillow at him.

 

>>><<<

 

"Today is the day, today is the day, today is the day!" Shige shrieked, almost jumping on Ryo to wake him up. "Come _on_."  
"Is it Christmas or something?" Ryo grumbled, sitting up and blinking the sun out of his eyes.

"No, you idiot - _unicorns_!" Shige said, beaming down at him. Ryo sighed.

"Oh, right." He had almost forgotten. Ueda laughed, kneeling on the bed next to him.

"Breakfast is downstairs, hurry up and get ready and join me," Shige ordered, throwing Ryo extra clothes before disappearing.  
"He's so excited," Ueda commented, "He was awake at six."

"What's the time now?" Ryo asked, climbing out of bed.

"About eight."

Ryo felt a little self-conscious as he stripped out of his shirt, turning his back to Ueda and trying to figure out his other shirt. Why was this so difficult; it wasn't normally this difficult--

But then Ueda was trailing his hands over Ryo's back, making him freeze. "What're you doing?" Ryo asked, and Ueda pressed a kiss to Ryo's shoulder.

"Good morning."

Ryo had never seen Ueda's eyes like this, so dark and full of emotion. Just for him. "Morning."

"Ready for today?" Ueda asked, sliding his arms around Ryo's waist and hugging him from behind. Ryo felt a shiver course up his spine, a smile finding it's way onto his face.

"I will be, once you let me go so I can put my shirt on."

"Right, sorry."

 

>>><<<

 

Shige was practically skipping, he was so excited. Once they finished breakfast - which Ueda and Ryo ate slowly just to piss him off - they headed outside, the harsh sun already beating down upon them. "Well, here we go," Ryo murmured, and Ueda grimaced.  
"Yeah."

The mountains seemed to stare down at them, looming above them with their jagged edges and eerie silence. It was all very foreboding and Ryo wanted nothing more than to turn tail and go back to the motel, but Shige was dragging them past the last of the paddocks and into the forest before they could even try.

The forest at the base of the mountain was thick, but Shige somehow knew where to go, a map in his hand. He kept mumbling to himself as they climbed, up and up and up, trying not to get too scratched by the many branches that caught their clothes and tore holes in their shirts.

"This way," Shige kept repeating, and after the tenth time Ryo had to pause and glare at Ueda.

"If he says that one more time, I'm pushing him back down this hill," Ryo panted, but Ueda wasn't paying attention, his focus more on avoiding the low branches that snatched at his clothes.

Their feet kept slipping on the leaf-littered ground, making the way rougher than it should be. Ryo could hear Ueda swearing behind him as he tripped and without thinking he turned, grabbing hold of Ueda's hand to help him up. "Are you okay?" he asked, and Ueda nodded.

"I'm fine."

Ryo didn't let go of his hand. Ueda didn't pull away.

Ueda's hand fit so perfectly into his own, like it was always meant to be there. He caught Ueda's eye and smiled, but Ueda just wrinkled his nose at him. "You're so gross," Ueda said, but Ryo saw the little smile he was trying to hide.

"Stop being all sappy back there," Shige called from way ahead. "We've got a job to do!"

"Oh no, he's already got his camera out," Ueda whined as they pushed on. "There is no saving us now."

Hours later, they were sweating and their muscles were aching and their hair was falling into their eyes, and all Ryo wanted to do was drop Ueda's hand because their palms were sweaty, but he didn't for fear that Ueda wouldn't want to hold it again.

It was Ueda who dropped his hand first, flashing him an apologetic look that Ryo just shook his head to. "It's okay."

"This way!"

Shige led them around, and somehow they were now going _down_ until a few large rocks blocked their path. Ueda leant on them, panting. "You're going to kill us."

But Shige didn't care, turning and looking like he was about to burst. "It's here," he whispered.

"Eh?" Ryo asked, wiping the sweat from his brow with his shirt.

"Just behind these rocks and we're there," Shige said, eyes wide. "...Holy crap I think I'm going to faint."

Ueda and Ryo leapt for him before he could actually collapse, grabbing onto Shige's forearms and making sure he was steady. Ryo fumbled for Shige's backpack, pouring water over Shige's hair and giving him the rest to drink.

"His colour is coming back," Ueda commented, and Shige smiled.

"I'm okay... I think," he said, coughing and holding up his camera. "Should we go now?"

With tentative footsteps, Shige led the way, stepping around the rocks with his camera ready in front of him. Ryo and Ueda watched as he disappeared, still able to hear the crunch as his shoes crushed the leaves underfoot.

Then there was silence.

"Shige?"

"There's nothing."

"What?"

Shige reappeared around the rocks, looking more disappointed than Ryo had ever seen him before. "There's nothing there."  
Ueda and Ryo exchanged looks. "Maybe... we're at the wrong spot?" Ueda offered, but Shige shook his head.

"No, this was it..." he mumbled, eyebrows furrowing as he checked his map closely. "This was it."

"Maybe they moved on elsewhere," Ryo suggested, but Shige just pushed his map into his pocket and moved past them.

"It's not here, let's go."

"Shige--"

"This whole trip has been a waste of time," Shige deadpanned, already making his way back, "I'm sorry I dragged you both here."

"No, we--"

"Can you just _shut up_ for one second?" Shige yelled, shocking them into silence. "They're not here; let's go."

Ueda and Ryo had no choice but to follow him, casting worried glances to each other every so often. They had never seen Shige like this before, so downcast and upset that his hands were curled into fists at his side. Shige was always the one to laugh at himself, to shrug off problems and cheer everyone else up. Sometimes he snapped, sure, but this was different.

"But I'm sure--"

"There's no such thing as unicorns - wasn't that what you always said, Ueda?" Shige snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Well I suppose you were right. Congratulations."

They didn't say a word on the way back, knowing that Shige just wanted to be alone.

Ueda wormed his hand back into Ryo's hold again as they walked.

 

>>><<<

 

Shige disappeared once they arrived back to the hotel, dumping his stuff on his bed and walking back out. Ueda and Ryo said nothing.

Ueda sat upon Ryo's bed, staring at the camera Shige had practically thrown back on the mattress. "Do you think he'll be alright?" Ueda asked, and Ryo shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted, "He seemed really down."

Ueda nodded. "Yeah..."

Ryo looked at him, and could almost see his mind whirring. "What're you thinking, Ueda?"

"I think... I think we can help him out."

Ryo sat down next to him on the bed, already starting to smile. "Is this another amazing Ueda-plan?"

"Oh, it definitely is."

 

>>><<<

 

Shige came back drunk, his eyes unfocused and rambling on about unicorns and his dreams being ruined. Ryo hit him over the head and told him to get to sleep.

"You're a caring friend, aren't you?" Ueda laughed. Ryo hit him, too. "Abusive boyfriend!" Ueda shrieked.

Ryo kissed him to shut him up.

They waited till midnight to venture out into the night. Shige's camera was clutched firmly in Ueda's hands, whilst Ryo carried a basketful of carrots. The moon was high in the sky, large and bright and shining down upon them with a blue light that illuminated the town, casting eerie shadows upon their faces.

The two snuck into a paddock, slipping between the space between the fence rails. "Which one?" Ryo whispered, but Ueda was already moving. Ryo supposed he should follow.

Half an hour later, they were covered in mud, grass stains decorating their jeans and twigs in their hair. "Who knew they'd be so hard to catch?" Ryo grumbled, and Ueda nodded. "Shige better appreciate what we do for him."

"He will."

They arrived back to the motel in the early hours of the morning, when the sky was turning grey and birds had started waking up, their chirps cutting through the silence. Shige was still fast asleep, one shoe held tightly in his hand and his shirt halfway off, as if he had been in the middle of undressing before he fell asleep.

"Idiot," Ryo said, and Ueda elbowed him.

"Okay, I'll go first," Ueda said, and Ryo nodded. Ueda took a deep breath before slamming the door and practically falling onto Shige. "Shige! Shige!" he yelled, and Shige shot up.

"What? What?" he asked deliriously, his eyes unfocused. "What's going on? Why is Ueda on top of me? Why am I holding my shoe?"

"We found them!" Ueda yelled, and Shige blinked.

"...My shoes?"

"We found the unicorns," Ueda repeated, thrusting Shige's camera under his nose.

Shige scrambled around for his glasses, jamming them onto his face rather roughly so he could see the little screen on his camera. "Give it here," he said, wrenching the camera out of Ueda's hands and staring at the picture that Ueda had taken. "W-What is this?"

"Ryo and I went for a walk - I couldn't sleep - and then we saw this," Ueda said, standing up and elbowing Ryo. "Your turn," he hissed.

"Oh, right. Uuh. We had your camera cause Ueda wanted to-- cause he wanted to take photos-- and-- well--"

Ryo had never been good at acting.

Ueda rolled his eyes at him. "We saw it in one of the horse paddocks. Just galloping about. It was all kind of... magical, really."  
Shige was staring at the picture on the screen, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "So this is... really-- this is really a unicorn?" he whispered in awe, fingers tracing the screen.

Ryo looked at Ueda, who couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"I don't know-- they must come out at midnight or something. Nocturnal, y'know?" Ryo offered, but Shige was leaping at them, throwing his arms around them and hugging them close, tighter than he had ever hugged them.

Shige's smile was so wide Ryo was scared that it was about to split his face in half, his eyes wide and happy. "I can't-- I can't believe this-- oh my god-- I-- It's _real_..." he muttered, letting them go long enough to look at the picture once more before hugging them again. "Guys, I love you!"

"We know," Ueda mumbled into Shige's shirt, "But we can't breathe."

Shige pulled away, staring somewhere behind them. "Oh-- what will the guys at the university say?" he gasped, bouncing a little. "They'll be so surprised-- I'll totally knock them all off their pedestals-- none of them believed me-- _thankyou_!"

Shige ran out of the room - possibly to call the university - and left Ueda and Ryo alone. "Did you expect that to go so well?" Ryo asked, laughing a little at Ueda's mussed hair.

"Not at all," Ueda said, patting his hair down. "It was just a silhouette of a horse with a carrot stuck on its forehead; I had no idea how he'd take it."

Ryo wound his arms around Ueda's waist. "You've made his day."

"Mm... if you kiss me, you'll make mine."

So Ryo did, Ueda's fingers coming up to flit about Ryo's jaw as he kissed him back. "I love you."

"I wished for you," Ueda said, and Ryo cocked his head.

"Hmm?"

"Back at the fountain. I wished for you."

Ryo smiled widely, pressing a kiss to Ueda's temple. "Well, now you have me."

Ueda kissed him again.

 

 --the end


End file.
